Newspapers / The Roanoke Beacon and … / Sept. 4, 1947, edition 1 / Page 1
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T'own opics The Roanoke Beacon SIGN UP FOR SECURITY TODAY WHERE YOU WORK THROUGH THE PAYROLL SAVINGS PLAN ★ ★★★★★ and Washington County News ★★★★★★ VOLUME LVIII—NUMBER 36 Plymouth, Washington County, North Carolina, Thursday, September 4, 1947 ESTABLISHED 1889 Two local lishermen, L. Harrell and H. M. Ramsey, caught so many fish last Monday that they tossed back specimens of the finny tribe which ordinari ly they would have bragged about when they got home. (That is their story and they vow they’ll stick to it.) They went to Rose ^.-•Bay, in Hyde County, and their choice of fishing grounds was vin dicated and, at least partly, veri fied by the fact that they brought back a G. I. can filled with as sorted seafood. Included in the catch were speckled trout, grey trout, hog fish and croakers weighing from one and a half to three pounds. Fire Chief I. Miller Warren will be in Morehead City next week attending the annual meeting of the State Firemen's Association. Plymouth is supposed to have several delegates, but the chief has been unable to get anyone to accompany him. The association will be in session from Monday through Thursday. The Labor Day week-end holiday passed very quietly here, with no serious accidents and very few arrests being re ported, acording to Police Chief P. VV. Brown. Many local peo ple went to the beaches or visit ed friends in near-by towns, and the streets were almost empty. A few played golf, very few, due to the hot weather, i and a sizeable number went fishing: but a majority simply hunted the nearest shade and rested. Walter H. Paramore, who re cently resigned as executive sec retary of the Whiteville Chamber of Commerce and Merchants As sociation to accept a similar po sition at Fuquay Springs, was a visitor in Plymouth last week end. Mr. Paramore is a former resident of Plymouth, where he was connected with The Roanoke Beacon for about 10 years. He will take up his new work in Fuquay Springs the last of this week. Ernest Arps, local business man. can lay claim to having caught one of the biggest fish that Conaby Creek ever saw. Last Thursday afternoon. Mr. Arps, using “a reed and a minnow" took a bass that measured about two feet from tip to tip and weighed an even seven pounds, Mr. Arps said that a bigger fish might have been taken front Conaby in Lnes'past, but that he never saw or heard of it. ^ Tom Freeman’s Plymouth of fice is the scene of nightly gath erings of local menfolk who en gage in much talk and friendly arguments, mostly about farming. Last week-end, to Mr. Freeman’s surprise, he received a copy of the Agricultural Yearbook 1943 47 from Congressman Herbert Bonner who, in an accompany ing letter, said that it might be helpful in settling some of the arguments, the fame of which has reached the nation's capitol. -4 County Has Total of 21 School Buses Operating There are 21 school buses in operation in the county school system this year, and there were no reports of trouble from any |4[of them opening day, according to Roy F. Lowry, superintendent. Creswell has the largest number, 9; while there are 5 at the Plym outh school and 6 at Roper. The one bus operated for colored students is at the J. J. Clemmons school in Roper. -—4 Lions Club To Resume Meetings Every Week -4 The Plymouth Lions Club will resume their weekly meetings to night after observing an every other-week schedule during the summer months, C. W. Dinkins, president of the local organiza tion, has stated. The club will not meet, however, on fifth Thursdays when such occur. Hoards of Town and ("onnIt Meet Monday Town and county governing boards are all scheduled to hold their regular September meet ings next Monday, after having them postponed for one week on account of the Labor Day holiday. The county board of commis sioners and county board of -education will meet Monday morning at their respective of fices in the courthouse, while the Plymouth City Council will meet in the municipal building at 8 o’clock Monday night. Routine business will occupy the attention of the county com missioners, while the board of education will check up on the opening of county schools this week and take up any other matters that come up. The Plymouth City Council has some knotty problems to un ravel, but members hope to jet the budget and tax rate straightened out officially, pro vided approval of the tentative figures submitted to the Local Government Commission last month is received in time. Over 700 Enrolled At School Opening Here Last Tuesday Budget Is Lost j In State Oiiice ; After waiting in vain almost a month for approval by the Local Government Commission of the Town of Plymouth bud get estimate for 1947-48, local officials called up Tuesday morning to find out the reason for the delay. After being re ferred from first one depart ment to another, it was finally learned that no one in Raleigh had ever heard of such a bud get, although it was mailed from here on August 5. Preparations were made im mediately to get off a duplicate copy of the budget to the com mission, which promised quick action on it. In the meantime, the town has been unable to take any steps to collect taxes on the levy for the current year, as the rate must he ap proved first by the local gov ernment officials. Town officers hope the quitter can he ironed out this week. -- One Man Hurl in Series Accidents Sunday, Monday Joe Hassell, of Pea Ridge, Hit by Car Near Sound Bridge; Other Wrecks of Minor Nature -■» Three automobile accidents, in volving one serious injury but no fatalities, were reported by Sheriff J. K. Reid for the Labor Day week-end. Highway Pa trolman R. W. Young is on vaca tion, and there was no report available for patrol activities dur ing the period. Joe Hassell. Pea Ridge resident, was seriously hurt about 10 o'clock Sunday night, when he was struck by a car at the foot of the sound bridge on the Wash ington County side. Sheriff Reid said he had very little informa tion about the accident, which was investigated by a highway patrolman from Gatesville, and the name of the car driver could not be learned here. It was re ported that Mr. Hassell was taken to the Edenton hospital. The first of the three accidents occurred Sunday afternoon on the. curve at Cool Springs, one mile west of Plymouth. A car owned and driven by the Rev. G. C. Bland, of Creswell, crash ed into the rear of another car, owned by Annie Rivers, colored, (See ACCIDENTS, Page Five) Reduction in Electric 1 Hates Effective Here At the present time, residen tial customers are paying 5 cents for the first 50 kilowatt hours, 2.9 cents for the next 100; 1.9 cents for the next 100, and 1.5 cents for amounts in ex cess of 250 kilowatt hours. Un der the new rate, the charge will be 5 cents for the first 50; 2.5 cents for next 150 and 1.5 cents for the excess. The net saving for users of 250 kilowatt hours or more per month will be about 80 cents per customer. Power company officials es timate the gross savings to pow er and light customers at one and a half million dollars dar ing the next 12 months. A reduction in electric rates becomes effective this month for consumers in this section, it was announced last week by Ray H. Goodmon, of William ston, vice president of the Vir ginia Electric & Power Com pany. A 5 per cent discount on net bills will be allowed in dustrial and commercial users of electricity, while a new rate schedule is announced for resi dential light and power con sumers. The new residential rate is permanent while the discount to be allowed commercial and industrial users is contracted for one year only, beginning September 1, Pupils Being Dismissed Daily at 12:30 Until Alterations and Repairs Are Completed -» The 1947-48 school year got off to a flying start Tuesday with the first day’s enrollment exceeding that of iast year in both the high school and the elementary grades. There were 551 elementary reg istrants and 157 in the high school, as compared with 550 and 146 in 1946. With the registra tion of late starters J. S. Fleming, principal of the high school, said he expected the total enrollment to run about 800. Exercises were held in each home room, due to the fact that the auditorium is still undergo ing repairs. Mr. Fleming an nounced that all of the new class rooms were ready for occupancy the first day and that all were in use. Opening day confusion was cut to a minimum by an innovation, first tried this year. Prior to Tuesday morning a schedule card had been worked out for each student, showing subjects and hours of classes. Armed with these new schedules the pupils found their new elasAooms and found them, for the most part, with unusual promptness. It was a new departure for which the office of the principal, where the work was done, deserves con siderable credit. Approximately one-third of the teachers are new-comers to the faculty, but with two-thirds of his staff veterans Mr. Fleming is experiencing no difficulty in shaping up a smooth-running or ganization. At the first teachers’ meeting of the new school year, held at the high school Monday, all mem bers of the faculty were present. The meeting opened with an in vocation by the Rev. Paul B. Nickens, pastor of the Ludford Memorial Baptist Church. Dis cussion of school problems fol lowed. At this meeting it was decided to dismiss class for the first week at 12:30, for the con (See^SCHOOLr^Page^?en)~' -♦ i Gerald Spencer, 23, KilledEarlyToday In Auto Accident -♦ Body Pinned Under Car and Not Discovered for Several Hours; Was Veteran of Iwo Jima Gerald Spencer, 23-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. M. E. Spenc er, of the Cross Roads section, was killed early this morning near his home when the Chrysler automobile he was driving turn ed over. Young Spencer had been out with a party of friends and had put them out at their homes and presumably was on his way home when the accident occurred. Alone at the time, tire marks show that the car ran off the road for some distance before, turning over and pinning him underneath. It is thought the ac cident occurred about 2 a. m., and his body was not discovered until 6 o’clock this morning by a passer-by. The young man was a veteran of World War II, serving in the Marine Corps, and he was wound ed in the initial stages of the bat tle for Iwo Jima. News of his death shocked the community in which he lived, and it was im possible to get details of funeral arrangements this morinng. It was considered likely that final rites would be held from his late home Friday afternoon. Few Drivers Are Taking Exams for License Renewal Examiner Expects Big Rush To Develop Lat ter Part of Year; 225 Examined So Far -♦ Automobile drivers whose names begin with A and B are slow to take the examinations for renewal of their driving permits, according to James T. Boyce, of Plymouth, examiner for the State Highway Patrol. He said yester day that he had examined about 225 applicants since the new law became effective July 1st, which represents a small fraction of the number of drivers in this county affected. It is true that the A’s and B’s ■have until December 31 in which to take the examinations, but Mr. Boyce expects a last-minute rush to develop shortly before the end of the year that may leave some drivers “out in the cold.” He said there was a widespread misapprehension that the old license would be taken up if a driver failed on his test for re newal. This is not the case. The old license is good until Decem ber 31, even if a driver fails on the examination, and he takes up the license only after the ap plicant has successfully passed the test. Mr. Boyce averages several ex aminations each day he is in the office here, but he still has con siderable time on his hands which he will not have when the rush starts a little later. He is at the police station in Plymouth on Monday and Tuesdays, from 9 a. m. until 1 p. m., and from 2 p. m. until 5 p. m. On Saturdays he is here for a half day, from 9 a. m. until noon. -♦-.— Pastor of Christian Church Here Resigns Th Rev. E. B. Quick, who has served First Christian church here as pastor for the past four years, tendered his resignation last Sunday. Mr. Quick plans to be located in his new field within two months. A member of the local congregation said yesterday that they had made no plans so far toward securing a new pastor. 'Sales of Tobacco Expected To Show Increase Shortly Most County Farmers Are Completing Cur ings This Week; Price 10 Cents Lower -—■—♦ Sale of Washington County to bacco on near-by markets is ex pected to pick up sharply in the next week or 10 days, as most farmers are nearing the end of the harvesting and curing seas son. Comparatively little tobacco from this section has been sold thus far, as many growers have been busy priming and curing, but grading and selling will increase rapidly in another week, accord ing to reports. Farmers generally are not com plaining a great deal about prices, although the general average this year is just about 10 cents under what it was a year ago. Most markets are reporting averages around the $43 to $45 mark, with sales light to fairly -heavy, due to the late season. Prices are ranging from $7.75 for the crudest nondescript to $61 for good lemon cutters this week, which is slightly better than the last two or three days last week. The bulk of offerings i$ bringing $41 to $54. as compared with $45 to $64 opening week last year. Government reports indicate that the general quality of early sales this season compared fav orably with last year in spite of the lateness of the crop. The pro portion of fine and choice quali ties was smaller, but less com mon and nondescript grades was marketed, Observers on the market state that the Flue-Cured Stablization Corporation is serving as an ef fective stabilizing factor, but so far the corporation has received a small percentage of the tobacco being marketed. As a rule, the buyers will bid just high enough to keep the tobacco from going to the stabilization corporation. The corporation received 18.5 per cent of the leaf marketed during open ing week, but this percentage was said to be slightly lower this week, IJggulations adopted last week provided for a five-hour sales day on markets in this section, start (See TOBACCO, Page Five) Parking Problem Is Topic of Merchants Plymouth merchants are still concerned with local parking conditions. At a regular meeting of the merchants association Tues day, they discussed at consider able length various proposals to induce local business and profes sional men, as well as their em ployees, to park their cars else where than in the business sec tion. It was finally decided that as sociation officials get in touch with all those concerned and ask for cooperation in keeping as many of their cars as possible parked in back lots on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, peak days for local shopping. The merchants also voted to write letters to all transportation ■ompanies asking that freight and express deliveries be made at *he back doors of local stores rather than at the front. This would eliminate double parking on Water and Washington Streets while deliveries are being made: Dues were raised from $1 to >1.50 monthly, with the extra 50 :ents to be used to provide prizes or local questions which will be used on the merchants’ radio pro gram. Bank Here Pays Out $34,000 Tuesday to Veterans for Bonds Washington County veterans joined others throughout the na tion Tuesday in the big parade to “cash in” their terminal leave bonds. The Branch Banking & Trust Company in Plymouth, only agency in the county au thorized to convert the bonds into cash, was crowded with ex GI’s from the time the doors opened Tuesday morning until closing time, and the same con dition is expected to prevail to a somewhat lesser degree throughout this week. H. E. Beam, cashier of the local bank, said that 158 bonds were cashed the first day, ranging in amounts from $50 to $700, plus accrued interest, with the grand total of cash issued standing around $34,000. The average bond was for a little over $200. He estimated that 95 per cent of the veterans took the cash, with the remaining 5 per cent putting pro ceeds from the bonds on deposit. Business in general is expected to receive a “shot in the arm” as a result of the additional cur rency being placed in circulation. Several merchants here said Tuesday they could see the ef fects of the bond money reflected in their daily sales, and the ABC store reported receipts more than doubled that of an average lues day. The bonds may now be cash ed in at any time for the face value plus interest at 2 V. per cent from date of issuance. It is not known exactly how many county veterans have the bonds, but estimates range as high as 700 to 800. Judging from the early rush, a majority of holders will cash their bonds in during Ihe next few weeks. Bank and government officials are urging ex-service men not to cash the bonds unless they actual ly need the money, as they con tinue to draw interest at 2'i per cent until maturity, which is five years from date of issuance. De spite these facts, recent surveys indicate that most veterans in all states plan to cash the bonds as soon as possible. Holders of bonds are advised that positive identification is re quired before cashing them. They are non-transferable and pay ment can be made only to the persons in whose names they are issued. If a man is not known to officials of the institutions au thorized to redeem the bonds, he should bring his discharge papers ar other positive proof of identi fication. Opening Day Enrollment About Same as Last Year As County Schools Start Enrollmt'iil Figures Below is a tabulation of the opening day enrollment figures for Washington County schools for the 1947-48 and 1946-47 terms, as reported to the county superintendent of schools. Where blank spaces occur, it means that the figures had not been reported to the county office. Plymouth Creswell Roper Totals White 1947-48 H .S. Ele. Tot. 157 551 708 122 396 518 71 198 269 350 1,111 1,461 1946-47 H. S. Ele. Tot. 146 550 696 114 401 515 68 226 294 328 1.177 1,505 Cherry __„_ Creswell _ 35 Macedonia Morrattock Plymouth Pritchett ___ Sound Side Deep Bottom Brooks ... Mount Delane Back Woods Roper ____ Colored 36 123 49 62 326 39 75 48 53 53 57 183 79 67 36 158 49 62 405 39 75 48 53 53 57 250 93 42 42 41 324 43 24 45 51 42 42 41 417 43 24 45 51 Totals 181 1,104 1,285 Officers Are Named At Baseball Meeting A. J. Riddle Heads Tem porary Group; Organi zation To Be Complet ed at Meet in January Plymouth is several steps near er organized baseball and is definitely doing something about it. An organization meeting was held Friday night 35 Of JO interested fans, the new tempo held a meeting office to work out details for the sale of stock. A charter has been secured in the name of the Washington County Athletic Association from the Secretary of State and stock certificates have been received from a Virginia engraving firm. The temporary organization, which will function until Janu ary 1. 1948 is headed by A. J. Riddle, president. Joe Foster is vice-president and W. A. Roe buck, secretary and treasurer. The Board of Directors include W. H. Joyner, C. L. Bailey, W. B. Rodman. J. L. Phelps, who represents the Town of Creswell, and L. L. Mizzelle, who represents the Town of Roper. Lighting equipment, made bv General Electric and of the same type us that used in the Yankee Stadium in New York has been ordered. The order has been acknowledged and shipment is promised on March 1 of next year. -Lilt? llL'lU lt> cl li cit. I U1 IctHU UU* nated by the Still Realty and Insurance Company in Stillncres and adjoining the site of the new high school, in fact, includes a part of the high school athletic field. Details will be worked out at a meeting with the Board of Education Monday wlhereby something in the nature of a permanent lease of the joint pro perty will be secured. Stock in the amount of $15,000 to $20,000 will be sold locally, it is hoped. The backers of the new as sociation point out that Plymouth and Washington County are base ball conscious. Fans drive night ly from as far as Creswell and Wenona to see games at Edenton, Washington and other distant points. They think it logical that these same fans had much rather come to Plymouth and that they will support the project. -1 Local Football Boys Have Pictures Made -♦ Members of the Plymouth High School football squad had their pictures taken after the practice session Tuesday night. O. M. Plumlee, proprietor of Plumlee’s Photo & Art Shop here, did the work, assisted by A. F. Fergu son, on the lawn in front of the American Fork & Hoe Company plant. A group picture was taken of the whole squad, and then groups of three or four players were photographed. It is planned to run a series of the photos in The Beacon over a period of several weeks. Farm Bureau To Heel Here 12ih Announcement was made ycrt'-rrav by J. C. Tarkenton, president, that the regular Farm Bureau meeting schedul ed for the first Friday of each ■Mnth had been postponed Mantli to the second! MMajr, September 12. The setMMt-Sdt been set for 8 p. m. in tke tfri culture building in Plymouth. At the meeting a campaign will be launched for 1948 mem bership in the bureau. George Watson, prominent farmer and corn breeder, of Rocky Mount, will be the principal speaker for the occasion. A card sent to members this week states that light refresh ments, possibly including bar becue. will be served, and a large attendance is urged. Requesl for Food Voiced in Lefler From Germany Addressed to Mayor o Plymouth, Appeal I: From Town in Russiai Occupied Zone -♦ The following letter was re ceived by Archie J. Riddlt mayor of Plymouth, who turne< it over to the Roanoke Beacoi for publication. The letter wa written by Elise Paatzsch, a Ger man girl who lives in Tannen berg, a town in the Russian oc cupied sector of the Reich. Th< letter, as best it could be made out, reads as follows: “Most Honored Sir Mayor: Ex cuse please our great request. We are in great trouble because we don’t know how to feed our selves. We live in the Erzge birge, that is in Saxony, and is also very poor in farmings. The ground is steril and the climate rough. You may believe us that there are many days where out great family nearly has nothing to eat. (See ASK FOR FOOD, Page 5) All Teaching Positions Filled; Expect Atten dance to Increase Dur ing Next Few Weeks The 15 public schools in Wash ington County opened for the 1947-48 term Tuesday morning, with a minimum of fanfare and formal programs, so far as can be learned here. Enrollment figures for opening day vary somewhat from those of a year ago, from school to school, but the grand total is expected to be about the same or a little larger, when all reports are in. The late tobacco crop may be responsible for keeping some rural children out of school for a few weeks, especially colored. For that reason the enrollment should show a sizeable gain after the next couple of weeks. | Registration generally was completed at the opening sessi< ns Tuesday, fees were collected, and books and lesson assignments were handed out yesterday. To day is the first day for regular classroom work in most of the schools. It is understood that all teaching positions have been fill ed, although substitutes are hold ing down jobs in a few cases. The Plymouth white schools again showed an increased open ing day enrollment, and the same held true at Creswell while the total for the Roper school was somewhat lower than last year. Reports from the colored schools are not complete, and there is a big variation in comparison with last year among the nine which have reported. The table accompanying this article gives the opening day en rollment last year and this year for all the schools which had made reports to County Superintendent Roy F. Lowry up to yesterday Local Policeman —*— Night Policeman Alvin Allen had a close call early Tuesday night, when he was attacked by Henry Mayo, colored, whom the officer was taking to jail in the town police car. Mayo was arrested earlier on a charge of attempting to steal an automobile. As the officer was unlocking a cell in the coun ty jail, Mayo broke away and escaped along the riverfront here. He was recaptured a few minutes later by Night Policeman Foy Davenport, who turned the pris oner back over to Mr. Allen to return to jail. Allen placed Mayo in the back seat of the police car and again started to jail with him. On Main F street, near the courthouse, the • Negro suddenly reached over and grabbed the officer's tie. chok 1 ing him with it, while grappling for his gun. Allen managed to stop the car, and his call for help - was answered by Aubrey Spruill . and several others, who held the 1 prisoner until Oficer Davenport i arrived and placed him in jail. ’ Mayo is said to have a lengthy • police record. He is now charg ■ ed with assaulting an officer as well as attempted theft of an au ■ tomobile. -» Revival Series To Begin Monday at Union Chapel A series of revival services will begin next Monday night at the Union Chapel Free Will Baptist church, located on the Long Acre Road, and continue for one week. The services will be in charge of the Rev. J. A. Alexander, of Norfolk. Va.. pastor of the church, and will start at 8 p. m. each night. The public is invited to attend. I lirisinius Li^lils Arc Assured by Merchants Chief of Police P. \V. Brown, who had charge of putting up the lights in pre-war years, told the group that a good many bulbs and part of the necessary wiring was on hand. The merchants voted an ap propriation up to SHOO to se cure whatever additional is needed, and appointed Presi dent -W. J. Woolard, W. S. Davenport and Jack Davenport to look after the details. Plymouth merchants took steps at a meeting: Tuesday afternoon to assure Christmas lights on the streets here dur ing the holiday season. The matter was discussed at the merchants association gather ing, and a committee was nam ed to buy the necessary ma terials and make arrangements for having the vari-colored lights strung and turned on as soon as possible after Decem ber 1.
The Roanoke Beacon and Washington County News (Plymouth, N.C.)
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Sept. 4, 1947, edition 1
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